Matt D’Elia Is Confused

Sunday Service™ | Pride Month In God’s Country Jun 13, 2021

Happy Pride Month to all— even the asshead Christians who are extremely mad about the existence of Pride Month! Listen in as Pastor M. Diesel tackles homophobic pastors, breaks down the illogical anticipation Christians have for the always-coming but never-actually-arriving ‘rapture’, and illustrates the absurdity of those who claim to communicate with god.

Sunday Service™ | Prayers & Praying Jun 06, 2021

In today’s Sunday Service, Pastor M. Diesel examines the practice of praying— and finds that it does not require a rigorous examination to come to the conclusion that praying does not work at all ever under any circumstance! Listen now as Pastor M. breaks down all the ways in which praying is complete and utter bullshit! In the name of the father, the son, and the holy podcast— (K)A(Y)MEN!

Disagreements & Dumbness Jun 04, 2021

In today’s episode Matt does his best to convince you that disagreeing is not only fun— but also life-affirming. Other topics include but are not limited to: the age of nonsense we are currently living through, some of the more nonsensical news stories and developments over the course of the past week (including the single most nonsensical thing that has happened in recent memory)— and the fine line between acceptable and unacceptable levels of dumbness.

Sunday Service™ | Civil Wars & Rods of Iron May 30, 2021

Don’t pray— just hit play! ⛪️🙏🏽🙏🏾🙏🏿⛪️

Sex Tapes & Lab Leaks May 27, 2021

In today’s episode Matt covers a wide variety of topics, from Scott Stapp’s sex tape (and the implications thereof) to the possibility that COVID escaped from a lab (and the implications thereof). Enjoy!

Sunday Service™ | Bad Metaphors & The Bicameral Mind May 23, 2021

It’s that time again! ⛪️🙏🏼🙏🏽🙏🏾🙏🏿🛐

Gross Advertising & The Age Of Insecurity May 21, 2021

In today’s episode Matt touches on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: the ‘me rn’ mugs that are FINALLY for sale at the MDIC merch store (weeeeeee!), his experience getting Vax Shot #2, some truly fucking disgusting advertising campaigns for ‘male grooming’ products— and in the second half of the episode he breaks down an extremely thought-provoking article written by former (and hopefully soon-to-return) MDIC guest Freddie deBoer, about the underlying causes of what Freddie calls ‘The Age Of Insecurity’.

Sunday Service™ | Mean Christians & The Name ‘Todd’ May 16, 2021

In the name of the father, the son, and the holy podcast— AMEN! Rejoice, for this week’s Sunday Service™ with Pastor M. Diesel is upon us! 🙏🏼🙏🏽🙏🏾🙏🏿

Vaccine Skepticism & Eric Clapton May 14, 2021

This week’s MDIC, comin’ at ya— just in time for the weekend! As the title suggests, Matt covers what the conspiratorial anti-vax crowd is up to lately, Eric Clapton’s new shitty anti-lockdown song— and much more!

Sunday Service™ | Prophecies & Meth May 09, 2021

A particularly ungodly Sunday Service™ with Pastor M. Diesel!

Old Movies & Anti-Vaxxers May 06, 2021

In this episode Matt touches on a wide array of topics, including but not limited to: what it’s really like being M. Diesel, the importance of catchphrases, the genius of Little Richard, why Hollywood insists on remaking and rebooting movies instead of coming up with new ideas, why couples in old movies sleep in separate beds, the hypocrisy of the anti-vax crowd, why Tucker Carlson still sucks a whole lot, and more!

Sunday Service™ | Blood Of Jesus! May 02, 2021

Another Sunday Service™ with Pastor M. Diesel! Praise be! ⛪️🙏🏼🛐

Algorithms & Virtue Signaling Apr 30, 2021

Matt outlines a handful of things that have been confusing and / or upsetting him lately, including but not limited to: how / why the Apple News app is so terrible, how / why many major corporations could have (but did not) help us get through the pandemic faster and safer, how / why social media & search engine algorithms are ruining our lives instead of making our lives better, how / why people who virtue-signal about the COVID-19 vaccine AND those who constantly rail against people who virtue-signal about the COVID-19 vaccine are equally annoying— and how / why no one watched the Oscars last weekend. As an added bonus, at the end of the episode Matt finds and reads aloud the single worst article ever written in the history of journalism. It’s fun!

Sunday Service™ | Baby Jesus & The Academy Awards Apr 25, 2021

Another fresh Sunday Service™ for you! Full of insane prophets making insane prophecies, a literal breakdown of the supposed ‘immaculate conception’ of baby Jesus, and of course some bangin’ ass church music. Plus, at the end of the episode Matt covers the Oscars, why he didn’t see any of the nominated movies, and lets us in on the sick ass shit he HAS been watching over the course of the last year.

Sunday Service™ | Jesus Is A Friend Of Mine! Apr 18, 2021

Another Sunday Service™! “The best Sunday Service™ yet!” — Matt D’Elia (aka Pastor M. Diesel)

DMX & Khloe Kardashian Apr 10, 2021

In this episode Matt touches on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: DMX’s untimely passing, Khloe Kardashian’s run-in with the impossible beauty standards she has helped create, why all dogs should be at least a little fat, Yelp reviews and what they say about our immense loneliness, superhero movies and why everyone still watches them even though they’re the same thing over and over and over again— and Jordan Peterson’s ‘rules for life’ (which upon closer inspection are not ‘rules’ as much as they are things your parents tells you to do when you are 8 years old).

Sunday Service™ | Easter Edition Apr 04, 2021

HE IS RISEN! Matt’s back with his second consecutive Sunday Service™, right on time for Easter. Celebrate this extremely holy day the right way... fuck church, listen now! 🙏🏼🙌🏼🙏🏼

Sunday Service™ | The Return Mar 28, 2021

HALLELUJAH, Sunday Service™ is back! 🙌🏼👼🏼🙌🏼

Marijuana & Bruce Springsteen Mar 20, 2021

In this episode Matt discusses the horrifying domestic terrorist attack that took place in Georgia earlier this week, and breaks down one of the major reasons there’s been such a massive uptick in hate crimes against Asian-Americans over the course of the last year. (Hint: the guy who coined the race-baiting term ‘China Virus’ has something to do with it.) Other topics Matt covers in today’s episode: what happens to our brains as we get older, what it really means to be ‘middle aged’, the exact age at which we technically become ‘old’, all the ways the world is trying to make Matt hate Bruce Springsteen even though he has always loved Bruce Springsteen, the Biden administration’s absurd firing of several staff members for smoking marijuana (even if it was legal when and where they did it!), why it’s ok and in fact necessary to make fun of / criticize Joe Biden now that he’s the president— and, lastly, Matt expresses confusion about why there are so many 90s songs about homeless people, and wonders whether these songs were exploitative or just a strange trend he will never understand. (He also sings some of the songs.)

Guilty Pleasures & The Royal Family Mar 11, 2021

In this episode Matt examines the term ‘guilty pleasure’ and what people really mean when they say it, solves the age-old problem of two people faced with a decision that both people insist the other person should make, questions why anyone admires (or even cares about) the British monarchy anymore— and on the subject of The Royal Family, Matt also spends a good amount of time covering the global response to the news of their racism towards Meghan Markle, which was put on full blast by Meghan herself in an explosive new interview with her husband Harry (who is a Prince) and Oprah Winfrey (who is the Queen Of America).

Flyin’ Ted & Mr. Potato Head Feb 26, 2021

In this episode Matt rips into Lyin’ Ted Cruz, Matt’s least favorite living person, for running away to Cancun as a brutal snowstorm rocked the state of Texas. Then, after passionately eviscerating Flyin’ Ted Cancruz, Matt covers several other subjects as well, including but not limited to: Joel Schumacher’s film ‘The Number 23’, the high-level dumbness of people who believe in ‘numerology’, toy maker conglomerate Hasbro’s triggering of a bunch of rightwing lemmings by innocuously dropping the ‘Mr.’ in ‘Mr. Potato Head’, Oreo’s tweet about trans people and how it should have gone much further if it truly wanted to make a real statement of solidarity, why corporations meekly dip their toes into the culture wars in the first place— and, finally, the mind-numbingly boring ‘dance’ videos that go viral on TikTok. Also, at the very end of this episode, Matt confesses to being dumb about a thing. Don’t miss it!

Snow & 90s Music Feb 18, 2021

In this episode Matt examines the effects 90s pop music had on the vulnerable minds of those coming of age at that time— while still finding a way to appreciate the music. Listen in as he breaks down the lyrics, deeper meanings, and longterm implications of some of that decade’s major hits— from Snow’s ‘Informer’ to Ginuwine’s ‘Pony’ to Next’s ‘Too Close’, as well as many more. He is also still a detective and (basically) solves the Elisa Lam case, which is making headlines all over again thanks to the new Netflix documentary about it called ‘The Vanishing At The Cecil Hotel’.

Tom Brady & Shaggy Feb 10, 2021

In this episode Matt touches on a wide array of subjects, including but not limited to: the Super Bowl, Super Bowl commercials, people who love Super Bowl commercials, Tom Brady, John Travolta, the unbelievable assholery on display in Shaggy’s massive 2000 hit single ‘It Wasn’t Me’— as well as the surprising but undeniable connection between that song’s lyrics and Donald Trump’s defense strategy for his second impeachment trial. Also— this is the 100th episode of ‘Matt D’Elia Is Confused’! Woohoo weeeeeeeeee yippeeeeeeeee!!! 🎉🎉🎉

Denzel Washington & Strasbourg’s Dancing Plague of 1518 Feb 01, 2021

In this episode Matt speaks at length about why Denzel Washington is the single greatest actor of all time despite consistently starring in truly horrendous films— and then provides a roadmap for how directors can make these movies less horrendous moving forward. Which opens up into a breakdown of Mr. Washington’s latest horrendous film (in which he yet again gives an astoundingly great performance)— THE LITTLE THINGS. Also in this episode, Matt discusses the very confusing but endlessly fascinating ‘Dancing Plague’ of 1518, and explores the experiences of a small but growing handful of people who have finally seen reality for what it is and abandoned their belief in the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Conspirituality & Its Discontents Jan 26, 2021

Matt welcomes his first guest in several weeks— writer / philosopher Jules Evans. Jules has written extensively on ‘conspirituality’— the strange and in many ways unexpected convergence of the New Age cultural movement and the Far Right political movement— most notably his two recent and widely shared essays, ‘Nazi Hippies: When The New Age & Far Right Overlap’ and ‘Conspirituality: The Overlap Between The New Age & Conspiracy Beliefs’. He and Matt go deep on the surprisingly long history of connections between various New Age ideas and fascist ideologies, the latent ways in which these seemingly very different strains of thought actually DO make sensical albeit strange bedfellows, the present ways in which they merge together, their apparent incoherence upon even the slightest scrutiny, and the social as well as cultural milieus that give rise to these types of particularly conspiratorial periods in world history.

Critical Thinking & Being A Homicide Detective Jan 23, 2021

Matt recaps the weird but uneventful presidential inauguration, shares his feelings about all the people who said and *knew* “Joe Biden will never be president” as well as the many people who STILL say and *know* “Joe Biden will never be president”, and details his new career as a cool homicide detective type of guy who closes ice-cold cases and solves long-unsolved mysteries— such as who killed JonBenet Ramsey.

Negativity & Incoherence Jan 15, 2021

In this episode Matt details his process of dealing with negativity, specifically negative feedback, then covers a few aspects of the madness we’ve seen unfold in Washington DC over the last several days, starting with the ‘insurrection’ or ‘coup’ or whatever you choose to call what happened on January 6th, the wild things we’ve learned about that day’s events since they took place, and the disparate but equally insane reactions to it from a few voices on the far right, from politicians to conspiracy theorists to Christian ‘prophets’.

Insane People & The Inevitable Jan 07, 2021

Matt covers the batshit events that took place in Washington DC on January 6th, the insane and selfish people responsible for them, and the clear signs over the last few months that something exactly like this was going to happen.

New Year’s Eve & Terrorism Dec 30, 2020

In this episode Matt reflects on the unbelievably shitty year we all had, the desperately-needed money the government chose not to give us, and some of the absolutely batshit post-election rightwing conspiracy theories currently flying around on social media, including the ones concocted in response to the terrorist attack in downtown Nashville on Christmas Day (which just so happened to be carried out by a guy who unsurprisingly believed in many of the aforementioned absolutely batshit post-election rightwing conspiracies theories.)

Tom Cruise’s Righteous COVID Rant & A Theory That We Are All Martians Dec 22, 2020

In this episode Matt covers an even wider-than-usual range of topics, including but not limited to: Matt’s parents’ dog Lenny who fended off a coyote attack and bit off the coyote’s entire tail in the process, the possibility that we are all from Mars and thus Martians, Matt’s lifelong problem receiving gifts, Jehovah’s Witnesses and their rule against ‘celebrations’ of any kind, Tom Cruise’s angry on-set COVID-related tantrum, and the bullshit ‘COVID relief’ bill congress just passed.

Cooking Shows & Actors Deciding They’re Also Singers Dec 15, 2020

In this episode Matt covers many topics, including but not limited to: actors who suddenly decide that they are also singers, Korean boy band sensation BTS’s depressing holiday rendition of their hit song ‘Dynamite’, Smokey Robinson’s Cameo video in which he mispronounces a word (which makes Matt cry laughing), everyone’s strange obsession with cooking shows (particularly ‘The Great British Baking Show’ and one of its hosts Paul Hollywood), and of course the totally demented reaction from Trumpworld in response to the latest blow to their fantasy that Trump actually won the 2020 election even though he very very very veryyyyy obviously did not win the 2020 election.

A Recipe For Seduction & The Least Confusing Event of 2020 Dec 08, 2020

In today’s episode Matt touches on a wider-than-usual range of topics, including but not limited to: the so-called ‘War on Christmas’ that doesn’t exist even though many American Christians insist it does, Donald Trump’s ongoing insistence that he won the 2020 election even though he for sure lost, the maximally confusing yet somehow maximally sensical KFC-branded Lifetime ‘mini-movie’ called ‘A Recipe For Seduction’ (in which Mario Lopez plays COLONEL FUCKING SANDERS!) — and the surprising litany of problems that arise when someone asks someone else ‘are you ok?’ in front of a group of people.

Guys & Prophets Dec 01, 2020

In this episode Matt breaks down some of the wrong things men do. The list is long. Matt gets mad as he goes point by point. Then in the second half of the episode he shits on evangelical Christian ‘prophets’, with audio clips to help drive his point home.

Tucker Carlson & Aaron, The Guy Who Almost Ruined The Movie Matt Was Working On In Montana Nov 23, 2020

Matt is back in Los Angeles! Weeeee! In this episode he talks about the guy who got COVID and almost ruined the entire movie he was working on in Montana. After detailing how much of an irresponsible asshole that guy is and how much Matt hates him, Matt covers a wide range of topics including but not limited to: Rudy Giuliani’s terrifying hair dye-streaked face, the crazy religious MAGA people who have now turned on Tucker Carlson of all people, and the kind of crazy shit YouTube does to our poor little brains.

Post-Election Recap & Dancing Like You Are Jerking Off Two Guys (Pt. 2) Nov 09, 2020

Still holed up in a weird hotel in Montana, Matt covers the presidential election, breaks down Joe Biden’s weird victory, digs into the insanity that has ensued since Election Day— and forecasts the insanity that is still to come. He also makes up some very good brand new lyrics to The Village People’s ‘YMCA’ and plays clips of ‘prophet’ pastors losing their shit over the fact that a Trump landslide, which they boldly and confidently prophesied, did not come to pass.

Election Day 2020 & Dancing Like You Are Jerking Off Two Guys Nov 03, 2020

In this special Election Day episode, Matt shares his feelings about voting, the election, the election’s potential outcomes, how to behave if the person you voted for wins, and how excited he is that the next time he sits (or lays) down to record an episode, the election will finally be over. Matt also breaks down the way Donald Trump dances at his rallies— to The Village People’s ‘YMCA’, as though he is aggressively and gleefully jerking off two guys— and comes to a surprising conclusion about it.

Bananas In The Butt & The Electoral College Oct 25, 2020

Matt dedicates the first half of this episode to politics, covering topics such as what’s on Hunter Biden’s laptop, the third and final Trump / Biden debate, and the state of the 2020 presidential race with just over a week to go until Election Day. Later in the episode he moves on from politics to share his thoughts on two very different men: Jesse Lee Peterson and, unsurprisingly, Vin Diesel. Lastly, Matt touches on what the fuck he’s doing in Montana, and fills us in on how unbelievably / unacceptably cold it is there.

Jon Sternfeld | Unprepared Oct 19, 2020

Writer Jon Sternfeld joins Matt to discuss his fascinating new book, ‘Unprepared: America In The Time Of Coronavirus’, which chronicles how the pandemic unfolded, chronologically and in the words of the people handling it — from the scientists to the doctors to the politicians — without any added political or social commentary. Matt and Jon have a wide-ranging conversation about the book, its contents, how it was written, how its rare form of objectivity was achieved, what’s taken place since Jon finished writing it, what it says about America today— and what it tells us about what’s to come.

Columbus Day & The Church Of Trolling Oct 15, 2020

In this episode Matt wades into the controversy over Columbus Day, tells us what Christopher Columbus the man was really like, and wonders how and why we could possibly still have a national holiday named after such a person. From there he gets into a few other topics, including but not limited to: some truly bonkers conspiracy theories being pushed by the president of the United States, the annoying guy leading the massive Christian ‘protest’ gatherings all across the country right now, and one particular thing that very devout religious people often have in common with serial killers and mass murderers.

Joseph Stalin & The Fly At The Debate Oct 10, 2020

In this episode Matt shows off his new Vin Diesel soundboard, tells us why the fly on Mike Pence’s head at the VP debate made him so happy, flies into a rage about Donald Trump’s propagandistic ‘medical exam’ on Fox News, and explodes with fury over a Portland mayoral candidate’s idiotic and perplexing choice of clothing at a recent fundraising event, which featured the likenesses of legendarily terrible and murderous people such as Joseph Stalin.

Joe Pesci’s Music & Donald Trump’s COVID-19 Oct 06, 2020

In this episode Matt breaks down Joe Pesci’s little-known musical career, reviews the absurd 1989 action film TANGO & CASH through the lens of 2020, tells us why he’s legally changing his name from ‘Matt D’Elia’ to ‘M. Diesel’, and — of course — gives you all the latest on Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, its far-reaching fallout, and the very dumb conspiracy theories about it coming from both sides of the political spectrum.

Demented Disastrous Debacle Debate & More Vin Diesel Oct 01, 2020

Matt covers the first presidential debate of 2020, which was a demented disastrous debacle. Also, in a continuation of Monday’s episode, Matt talks more about his new favorite person— Vin Diesel.

Terrible Songs & Vin Diesel Sep 28, 2020

In this episode Matt breaks down the recent history of terrible songs that have somehow captured the world’s ear, from ‘Dynamite’ to ‘The Macarena’, and explains his theory about how this has happened despite everyone knowing these songs are absolutely fucking terrible. From there he uncovers strange truths about Vin Diesel — from his perplexing appeal to his historically fucked up speaking voice to his new career as a singer(!!!) — and then gets into a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to: what to expect from the first presidential debate, why the political endorsements of celebrities are utterly absurd, and Donald Trump’s finally-available tax returns, which show that he somehow, inexplicably and against all logic, spent seventy thousand dollars on his hair in a single year.

Matthew McConaughey & The Supreme Court Sep 21, 2020

In this episode Matt breaks down something so unbelievably and overwhelmingly confusing that it actually goes all the way back around again and becomes crystal clear: the hypocrisy on display in the current battle over the sudden vacancy on the Supreme Court. Later on, he covers a few other topics as well, including but not limited to: Hitler, world history, Hollywood history, the 1980 William Friedkin / Al Pacino film ‘CRUISING’, and finally— Matthew McConaughey, his overall genius, the genius way he laughs, and the deeply unsettling fact that he goes by ‘Matthew’ instead of ‘Matt’.

‘Coastal Elites’ & ‘Save The Children’ Sep 15, 2020

In this episode Matt shares his feelings on the fires currently ravaging America’s west coast, the immediate politicization of them, and Donald Trump’s proudly / idiotically anti-science response to those in charge of trying to stop them. From there he dives into several other issues, including but not limited to: the weirdly enduring ‘save the children’ aspect of almost all conspiracy theories, what people should really do if they actually want to ‘save the children’, HBO’s toothless and terrible new ‘satire’ COASTAL ELITES, and the easiest way to tell if someone is dumb. He also invents an entirely new way of saying ‘fuck’, and liberally uses this new way of saying ‘fuck’ throughout the duration of the episode. He ALSO mistakenly refers to the movie ‘WATERWORLD’ as ‘WESTWORLD’ and fails to correct himself and honestly that will piss him off until the day he dies. Enjoy!

Gender Reveal Parties & 9/11 Sep 11, 2020

In this episode Matt ruthlessly and gleefully attacks gender reveal parties and the expecting parents who host them, breaks down a powerful study about the surprising inaccuracy of our memories of particularly emotional or traumatic events, and recounts his own strange, personal (and probably inaccurate) memory of being in New York City on 9/11.

Trauma Porn & OnlyFans Sep 04, 2020

In this episode Matt discusses the utterly demented new trend of TikTokers pretending to be Holocaust survivors (!!!), the larger but just-as-disturbing trend of ‘trauma porn’ on social media, the half-warranted outrage over Bella Thorne’s use of OnlyFans, and why Matt supports anyone and everyone’s desire to sign up for (and make money on) OnlyFans. Toward the end he gets into some more serious shit— the far right’s delusional attacks on a potential Biden presidency, and the Trump campaign’s confusing attempt to gaslight the American people into believing Joe Biden’s America will be a lawless, hateful, violent hellscape..... when that is in fact what Donald Trump’s America already is, right now.

Diapers & Dynamite Sep 02, 2020

Matt dedicates a good portion of this episode to his complicated feelings about the enormously successful K-Pop boy band BTS— their international mega-stardom, their crazy fans, their upsetting plastic surgery, and their massive new English-language single ‘Dynamite’ (which he plays and sings along to, even though he hates it a great deal). He covers several other topics as well, including but not limited to: the maddening and deeply upsetting children’s song ‘Baby Shark’, a strange news story about a guy from West Virginia who wears diapers even though he is an adult male, and Vice President Mike Pence’s incredibly weird issues with women (including his wife, who he disturbingly refers to as ‘Mother’). He also has yet ANOTHER update on the Lady Antebellum name-change fiasco, and proceeds to give the band a NEW new name— one it actually deserves. (Hint: it’s ‘Lady Asshole’).

Pomp & Bullshit Aug 27, 2020

Second consecutive day with a new episode! Woooohoooo! In this one Matt breaks down the RNC and all its depression-inducing insanity, and gets into a few other things as well, including but not limited to: a follow-up on the Lady Antebellum name-change controversy (which is somehow even worse than he originally thought), the latest protesters vs armed-militia showdown (this time in Wisconsin) — and, finally, a plea for everyone, no matter what you believe in, to please chill the fuck out.

Friends & Punks Aug 26, 2020

In today’s episode Matt discusses his friend who has gone full MAGA, why Matt is still friends with him even though he wants to punch him in his face 24/7, and why no one should stop being friends with anyone just because of their politics. Then he gets into a variety of topics, including but not limited to: Perrier’s immense and obvious superiority to La Croix, The Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum changing their names, the ridiculous Jerry Falwell Jr. sex scandal and how it compares to the sex scandals of all the other fallen Christian leaders, why the fuck so many MAGA people think they’re ‘punk rock’ even though the LEAST ‘punk rock’ thing someone could POSSIBLY do is love the President of the United States— and, of course, the dementedness of this week’s RNC.

Boys State & Election Day Aug 20, 2020

In this solo episode Matt covers the award-winning documentary BOYS STATE, dives into his feelings about it, and breaks down why he was so deeply disturbed by what it says about politics and young people in this country today. He then gets into a few other things, including but not limited to: corporations pretending to be woke just to sell their dumb shit, Instagram’s new ‘Reels’ feature, absolutely insane 2020 congressional candidates (like Laura Loomer), and his deep confusion about why Election Day is not a national holiday but some shitty days (like Columbus Day) still are.

Hypocrisy & Hot Takes Aug 15, 2020

Matt dedicates this shorter-than-usual solo episode almost entirely to one topic: the prevalence of extreme and immediate ‘hot takes’, why he is overwhelmed by them, the hypocrisy they breed, and what he thinks is a better reaction to each and every news story than just shooting off a knee-jerk ‘opinion’ about it. He also talks briefly about the sudden presence of the bubonic plague (yes, really) in both China and the good ol’ US of A.

Robert P. Jones | White Too Long Aug 13, 2020

NEW GUEST! Robert P. Jones, founder of PRRI (the Public Religious Research Institute) was kind enough to come on the show to discuss his new book— ‘White Too Long: The Legacy Of White Supremacy in American Christianity’. Matt picks Robert’s brain about how scripture has long been used by both white supremacists and American Christians as a defense of (and not as a deterrent to) abhorrent behavior, how they have historically rationalized that abhorrent behavior, the massive contradictions within the modern Christian community that continue to aid its avoidance of serious reflection or moral inquiry, the surprising truth about the many confederate monuments still standing around the country (there are 1750 of them!), and the various potential futures (both hopeful and not-so-hopeful) of the enduring ‘unholy alliance’ between American Christianity and white supremacy. Also, Matt finally gets to the bottom of why white Christians insist Jesus was white even though he absolutely was definitely 100% not white at all and that’s completely obvious to anyone who thinks about it for even one tiny shred of one measly second.

China & ‘The Net’ Aug 07, 2020

Matt opens this week’s episode by discussing the 1995 film, THE NET, its portrayal of the early days / perceived dangers of the internet, the unfortunate fact that we ever called the internet ‘the net’ in the first place, what the internet was like back then in general, how it has changed, and how it has changed us— then he gets into a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: UFOs and their potential existence, China’s terrifying brand of totalitarianism and why it’s not talked about enough, and the one simple thing Joe Biden needs to do to win the upcoming election… which is this: to immediately stop saying really stupid things.

Confusion & ‘The Penis Master’ Jul 31, 2020

In this solo episode, Matt discusses the state of confusion we are all presently living through, the importance of speaking plainly, the Barbie vs. Donald Trump Jr. ‘Twitter war’, the problem with politicizing children in any way for any reason— and although he was going to discuss China and its extremely fucked up brand of totalitarianism, something else comes up (in real time) that grabs Matt’s attention and must be addressed ASAP: the English man whose penis fell off, and the so-called ‘Penis Master’ doctor who put it back... on his forearm. Enjoy!

Sports & Money Jul 25, 2020

In this solo episode Matt discusses a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: the surreal return of professional sports in the time of Covid-19, the stupid uproar in response to athletes taking a knee during the national anthem, the difficulty but ultimate importance of keeping an open mind at a time when we all so desperately seek certainty, Twitter’s questionable plans to combat QAnon, the fast-approaching eviction crisis we are on the precipice of facing— and the necessity of one very obvious solution to that crisis, despite its enormous cost and whatever other problems it may lead to down the road.

Religion & Sociopaths Jul 17, 2020

In this solo episode Matt discusses the various types of terrible governors across the country and their astoundingly bad leadership during the coronavirus pandemic, the QAnon conspiracy theory and why it’s here to stay, the future of religion in an increasingly secular world, the dumb as hell ‘Goya Foods’ controversy and why everyone caught up in it is equally dumb as hell— and, finally, Matt gives an update on Kanye West’s presidential bid. (Hint: it’s over.)

TikTok & Kanye West Jul 09, 2020

New solo episode! This time Matt talks the upcoming presidential election, Kanye West’s unbelievably depressing entry into what was already an unbelievably depressing election season, the perils of TikTok, the importance of privacy even if you feel like you have nothing to hide, why young and old and middle-aged people all deserve equal amounts of vitriol and — of course — the fast-spreading coronavirus, Donald Trump’s epic mishandling of it, and the infuriatingly careless way teenagers are behaving in the face of this pandemic.

Ret. Sgt. Carl Tennenbaum, SFPD | America’s Failed War On Drugs Jul 04, 2020

Matt’s back for a 4th of July Extravaganza— two episodes, two guests, two stories to tell about America. First up is Carl Tennenbaum, a former sergeant of the San Francisco Police Department who is now a member of ‘LEAP’ (Law Enforcement Action Partnership). Matt and Carl discuss Carl’s time as a narcotics officer amid the ‘crack cocaine epidemic’ of the 1980s, how that experience changed and shaped his feelings about his work, what inspired Carl to become an outspoken advocate for the legalization of drugs (yes, all drugs), and the many existing successful models around the world for said legalization. From there they get into the endless moral, legal, and sociopolitical failures of America’s ‘war on drugs’, its undeniably racist roots, the ongoing plague of police brutality against Black Americans, the disturbing militarization of the modern police force, the far-reaching tentacles of systemic racism within the justice system, how laziness and bureaucracy entrench that racism even deeper, and why the common ‘few bad apples’ excuse for violent officers actually makes no sense at all.

Katherine Stewart | Christian Nationalism in America Jul 04, 2020

Matt’s back for a 4th of July Extravaganza— two episodes, two guests, two stories to tell about America. This episode’s guest is Katherine Stewart, an op-ed writer for the New York Times and the author of a very important new book called ‘The Power Worshippers: Inside The Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism’. Katherine lets Matt in on the insidious agenda of a peculiar subsection of the American Far Right — Christian Nationalists — and their attempts to dissolve the separation of church and state in the United States, the cynicism and hypocrisy they display while going about that dissolution, the various ways they obfuscate their modes of operation for maximum effect, how they have worked their way into the public school system, the reasons they strategically choose which culture war battles to fight and which to leave alone— and how their seemingly unlikely embrace of Presidential candidate Donald Trump actually made, and continues to make, perfect sense.

Elephant In The Room Jun 18, 2020

Matt makes a very short statement in this very short episode. Normal programming to return soon. Matt loves you all.

World On Fire (Pt. 4 — Sunday Service) Jun 15, 2020

On this day of the lord, Matt gets into a slew of things that confuse him, including but not limited to: the far right’s response to the ongoing BLM protests, the hypocrisy of Hollywood and their endless stream of shitty cop shows, the algorithms of YouTube and social media platforms that show us what they think we want to see (even if we don’t want to see it at all), the very very unfortunate fact that very very old and out of touch people are in charge of almost all things, and perhaps the most confusing thing of all: CHAZ — Seattle’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone — and its potential fallout. Don’t forget to get your MDIC merch at mattdelia.com/store! Use the code ‘KAY2020’ to get 15% off!! AND a portion of ALL PROCEEDS will go directly to BLM!!!

World On Fire (Pt. 3) Jun 11, 2020

The world is still on fire! So there’s a lot to discuss! In this episode Matt covers the future of policing in America, the ‘controversy’ surrounding the demolition of confederate monuments (and the bad reasons why it’s even considered a ‘controversy’ in the first place), NASCAR’s decades-late decision to ban the confederate flag from their boring-as-hell events, Donald Trump’s unbelievably dumb conspiracy-laden tweets and the unbelievably dumb people who embrace them, the unbearable terribleness of the year 2020 and how it won’t be getting better any time soon, and of course the ongoing and inspiring Black Lives Matter protests — and how / why they’ve spread from America all the way around the rest of the world. Don’t forget to get your MDIC merch at mattdelia.com/store — 15% off if you use the code ‘KAY2020’ — with a portion of ALL proceeds going to BLM / EJI !!! Weeeeeeee!!!!!

World On Fire (Sunday Service™ Edition) Jun 07, 2020

During this week’s Sunday Service, Matt discusses the religious right’s absurd response to the Black Lives Matter protests, the shitty tactics the far-right uses to try to make BLM seem ‘racist’ and / or ‘terrorist’ and / or ‘communist’, the truth behind the entirely-false George Soros conspiracy theories (including the widely-held one that claims BLM itself is a Soros-funded operation), and Donald Trump’s newly built ‘wall’— aka the dinky, bitch-ass fence he put up around the White House to keep the protestors away. Also— THE ‘MATT D’ELIA IS CONFUSED’ ONLINE MERCH STORE IS NOW UP AND RUNNING. Get 15% off all week using the code ‘KAY2020’. And most importantly— a significant portion of the proceeds of all sales will be donated to Black Lives Matter. Go check it all out at mattdelia.com/store

World On Fire Jun 04, 2020

Quarantine is over. (Kinda.) But now the world is on fire for a totally different reason— the protests opposing police brutality against Black Americans, and the murder of George Floyd. And that’s the only thing worth talking about at the moment. So that’s what Matt talks about— he covers the righteousness and simplicity of the underlying principle of the protests, the unbelievable degree to which Donald Trump is a massive pussy and his hypocritical response to the actions of the protestors, the asshole opportunists trying to fuck up the protests and turn them into their own shittier cause— and the stark difference between how white people say they feel around cops versus how black people say they feel around cops. Somehow a story about Matt tripping and falling on his first day of basketball practice sneaks in there too. But that is just a minor detail. (ALSO: IF YOU’RE PROTESTING, WEAR A MASK!!!)

Sunday Service #11: Special ‘End Of World’ Edition May 31, 2020

The world is breaking and the country is burning, so Matt couldn’t bring himself to do a normal Sunday Service. Instead, he focuses on a religion other than Christianity, though one that is just as confusing and indirectly destructive— American Exceptionalism. But the main focus of today’s episode is the only thing worth talking about at this particularly fucked up moment in time: the deeply disturbing murder of George Floyd, the astonishing straightforwardness of its brutality, the illuminating and differing responses to it from the media and the public, the ensuing nationwide protests, the unfortunate but unavoidable looting and destruction it has led to, why and how there is only one ‘side’ to be on amid all this chaos— and ultimately why it’s so hard for some white people to come to terms with the fact that racism is still so pervasive in our country. Matt also makes time to shit all over Donald Trump’s terrible but predictable response to all of this. And finally, Matt tells some personal anecdotes about the LA protests— which have literally been happening directly outside his front door. Stay safe, everybody.

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 21) May 27, 2020

What day is it? Oh right who cares anymore. In today’s episode, after some exciting show-related announcements, Matt gets into why everyone is acting so extra stupid during this pandemic, why ‘Karens’ act like ‘Karens’, why Twitter trying to label Trump’s lying tweets as ‘misleading’ actually helps Trump, the one simple thing Joe Biden needs to say to win the 2020 election— and what confuses him the most about what’s happening in the world today. Later in the episode he answers a bunch of your Twitter questions! Yayyyyyy!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 20 — Sunday Service!) May 24, 2020

SUNDAY IS HERE AGAIN! THANK GOD FOR THAT AND MUCH MORE! On this particular day of the lord, Matt addresses Christian America’s very strange and counterintuitive notion that Trump was sent by god himself, how the fuck anyone could possibly look at the president and think ‘oh yeah he believes in god’, the depressing and empty ways all politicians cater to religious communities, the recent explosion of viral ‘Karen’ videos, the likely future of the post-truth era, the congressional candidate who openly embraced QANON and won(!!!)— and much more! He also makes some time for some of your Twitter questions! PRAISE BE!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 19) May 20, 2020

In this episode Matt discusses his number one greatest life achievement: his appearance in a summer 2013 issue of Playgirl. He also discusses his feelings about nudity on film in general, and of course he makes time for some supremely annoying pandemic-related shit— of which there is an apparently endless supply. Then... twitter questions! Weeeeee!!!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 18 — Sunday Service!) May 17, 2020

Sunday Service™ is here again— praise be! Matt opens today’s service by getting very mad at people who are still going to church and spreading covid around. From there he gets into much more, including but not limited to: why Bill Gates gets all the conspiracy theories for himself while Jeff Bezos gets nothing (even though Bezos looks and behaves much more like a supervillain), the hypocrisy of all those people who refuse to believe the mainstream media but lap up any and every random video or Facebook post their friends or moms send them, the sad way that Trump’s followers thoughtlessly and immediately pick up their dear leader’s talking points, the depressingly elastic nature of the term ‘Fake News’ (and why it will never go away), the absurdly vacant conspiracy theory called ‘Obamagate’, and the new religion sweeping across America— QAnon. He also plays some amazing church music. Why? It’s Sunday. And what’s Sunday? The day of the lord. AMEN.

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 17) May 13, 2020

Still no end in sight to this quarantine? KAY! Matt breaks down the extension of California’s stay-at-home policy through July (AT THE EARLIEST!), then gets into various pandemic-related AND non-pandemic-related topics, including but not limited to: shitty spoiled brats who can’t seem to stop going to the beach, why going to the beach actually sucks in the first place, why wokeness has largely taken a backseat during quarantine, the absurd ‘controversy’ over something Tyra Banks said 14 years ago, why people believe what they want to believe instead of what is actually true, and the one man who has truly earned the title of ‘Biggest Pussy Ever To Exist In The History Of The World’— President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump. Before Matt wraps up, he responds to a bunch of your Twitter questions!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 16 — Sunday Service!) May 10, 2020

Sunday Service™ is here again! This time Matt tells some personal stories about growing up Catholic and addresses some of the particularly fucked up things about that strange strain of Christianity, including the process of going to confession and why priests still wear the dumb shit they wear. Then he sets his sights on White House Spiritual Adviser Paula White and a few other right wing zealots who said totally ridiculous shit over the course of the last week. Once he’s through with god stuff, he covers something that has been pissing him off to the extreme: the viral ‘Plandemic’ video that everyone won’t shut up about. Listen now or go STRAIGHT TO HELL!!!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 15) May 06, 2020

Seven and a half weeks of quarantine! Weeeeeeeeeeeee! In today’s episode, Matt makes some exciting podcast-related announcements and then gets into a wide array of subjects, including but not limited to: the joys of saying ‘Weeeeeeeeeeee!’, the most Russian way to kill someone, the problem with all those incredibly annoying baby-people who are comparing our country’s lockdown to ‘Nazi Germany’, the strange strains of pandemic-induced bigotry and violence that are sweeping across the country, and the kinds of news headlines that piss Matt off most of all. Then, after he brings us up to speed on his interactions with conspiracy theorist and number-one-fan, ‘Florida Man’, he answers a shitload of your Twitter questions! Weeeeeeeeeee!!!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 14 — Sunday Service!) May 03, 2020

Sunday Service is here again! On this day of the lord, Matt digs a little deeper into the reasons he loves church music so much even though he despises Christianity, rips into some of the insane pastors out there right now trying to rile up their congregants about the fact that they’ve been barred from gathering in person, examines the bullshit blustery male archetype he’s seeing all over the place at the anti-lockdown protests around the country— and after shitting all over a video of protesters singing along to The Village People’s ‘YMCA’ (but replacing ‘YMCA’ with ‘MAGA’), Matt gets sidetracked and tells a personal story from his childhood. Later in the episode he gets to a lot of your Twitter questions! Don’t forget— our church is better than real church! IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY KAY— AMEN!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 13) Apr 29, 2020

It has finally happened... Matt has begun to receive hate mail! Embracing this milestone, Matt reads us his favorite piece of hate mail thus far — a DM from a respectful conspiracy theorist who bluntly calls Matt out for a litany of perceived offenses. Luckily, Matt actually responded to this guy and they wound up having a whole conversation, which Matt reads to you in its entirety— pausing for commentary along the way. After tying all this into what’s wrong with the world right now and why there are people like this hate mailer in the first place, Matt gets into a few more topics that have been on his mind, including but not limited to— the recently released ‘UFO tapes’ and what to make of them, our collective fear of the unknown and its hidden effects, the differing advertising strategies of the Biden and Trump campaigns— and why Matt thinks both strategies are great but hates them anyway. Also: Twitter questions! Weeeeee!!!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 12 — Sunday Service!) Apr 26, 2020

SUNDAY SERVICE IS HERE AGAIN. This time Matt covers more insane blabbering from the mouth of televangelist Kenneth Copeland, the childish defiance many Christians are putting on parade in the face of this pandemic, Microsoft’s bitch-ass kowtowing to insane QANON and Pizzagate conspiracy theorists, the confusing news about Kim Jong Un’s potential death, the upsetting uniformity of corporate advertisements in the time of COVID— and, of course, Donald Trump’s disinfectant-injecting madness. Later in the episode he almost gets into some of your Twitter questions but doesn’t because he has too much other stuff to talk about, such as why and how he has successfully hijacked gospel music from Christians and is now using it for his own church: The Church Of Kay. IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY KAY— KAYMEN!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 11) Apr 22, 2020

11th straight solo lockdown episode! To kick this one off, Matt puts all pandemic-related topics aside to address something just as important— the same horrible way that every NPR hosts speaks. After picking apart ‘NPR voice’ and explaining why he thinks it’s a real deal problem, he goes on to explore the insanely idiotic right-wing conspiracy theories about Bill Gates and the weird cross section of people who believe them, the anti-lockdown protests going on right now and the insidious way that particular strain of unrest is being drummed up, the absurd QANON theory that Trump’s legendary ‘covfefe’ typo was not only intentional but also a secret code that correctly predicted COVID-19, and why it’s so hard to get simple, honest information about whether it’s best to continue this lockdown or start reopening the economy. Later in the episode he answers more Twitter questions! Weeeeeeeeeee!!!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 10 - Sunday Service!) Apr 19, 2020

Sunday Service is here again! In today’s sermon Matt plays some of his favorite church music, tells us why he likes it even though actual church is for losers, and then gets into some other important topics, including but not limited to: insane televangelist Rick Wiles and his homoerotic rants against Bill Gates, the hilarious hypocrisy on display at the anti-lockdown protests over the last few days, how the conversation around social distancing became politicized, and why having a layman’s opinion about anything pandemic-related is actually very very stupid. Before it’s over he answers a handful of your twitter questions. In the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Kay— AMEN!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 9) Apr 15, 2020

9 straight solo episodes since lockdown. 2 episodes a week. That puts us at 4.5 weeks into quarantine. And 4.5 weeks, if you didn’t already know, equals 1 full month. Because of this, little by little, we are all slowly but surely losing our shit. Luckily, Matt has a couple happy things to discuss in the first half of today’s episode— including money from the government for our pandemic-related troubles, and his brother Chris’s new Netflix special, ‘No Pain’. In the second half of the episode, things take a dark and furious turn when Matt eviscerates the idiotic, conspiracy-theory-laden viral video called ‘Out Of Shadows’, which claims Hollywood is run by pedophiles and controlled by the CIA. If anything has ever warranted a massive KAY, it’s this ‘documentary’ (which Matt instead insists on referring to as a ‘crockofshitumentary’). Enjoy!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 8 — EASTER SUNDAY SERVICE) Apr 12, 2020

In his 8th consecutive guest-less episode, Matt ‘celebrates’ Easter the way everyone should: from home. But some people are still insisting on going to church today— and Matt is in a rage about it. He also gets into what the fuck Easter is all about in general, what he thinks the rapture will look like if it actually comes (it won’t), why some total maniacs think Bill Gates is Satan, and sheds some light on a few of his ‘favorite’ COVID-19 conspiracy theories. Later he answers some of your Twitter questions and — perhaps most important of all — gives an update on last week’s intense elevator encounter with that disrespectful maskless asshole.

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 7) Apr 08, 2020

Another quarantine episode! 7th in a row! Weeeee! Listen as Matt breaks down the coming condom shortage, shares his feelings about what is and what is not proper public etiquette during a time like this, confesses to and addresses the unfortunate fact that his temper is returning amid all this stress and isolation, and tells an epic tale about a dumb disrespectful guy who got on the elevator with him even though he wasn’t wearing a mask— and the price the dumb disrespectful guy paid for doing so. Later in the episode he answers more of your Twitter questions! Weeeeeeee again!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 6 — Sunday Service!) Apr 05, 2020

Because it is Sunday (aka The Day Of The Lord) Matt stays on the theme of religion for most of this episode— particularly the Christian community’s response to the present coronavirus pandemic. Topics covered in today’s sermon include but are not limited to: Matt’s unironic love of gospel music, the obvious problem with going to church during a deadly pandemic, the less-obvious problem with the brains of the people who are still going to church despite everyone begging them not to, the real reason some state governments refuse to shut down religious gatherings, and madman pastor Kenneth Copeland’s latest unsuccessful effort to kill COVID-19. Matt also gets into his personal feelings about religion and belief, how those feelings have changed over the years, how he arrived at his current state of mind— and his recent coronavirus-pandemic-induced epiphany on the subject, which has shifted his always-evolving perspective on these matters yet again.

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 5) Apr 02, 2020

In Matt’s 5th successive quarantine-themed episode, he gets into a few more pandemic-related topics, from the fun to the not-so-fun: the big dick’d guy in all those ridiculous memes going around right now, the idiotic and harmful politicization of coronavirus, Donald Trump’s most insane tweet yet, why it’s so hard to get concrete information about how to stay safe during this crisis, Bob Dylan’s awful new 17-minute song that QAnon followers believe is for them, the truly strange ‘My Pillow’ guy and all the truly strange shit he’s up to, the problem with believing any one group of people ‘controls the world’— and why ‘Cameo’ needs to change its name to ‘Kaymeo’ ASAP. Later in the episode, he answers more of your questions from Twitter!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 4 — Sunday Evening / Monday Morning Edition) Mar 30, 2020

In the fourth installment of this podcast’s ongoing (and possibly never-ending) ‘Quarantine USA!’ series, Matt breaks down and discusses various aspects of the pandemic-induced madness currently on display in the world, including but not limited to: some Christian groups’ insistence on attending church services despite endless warnings not to do so, televangelist Kenneth Copeland’s Sunday sermon in which he claims to ‘destroy COVID-19’, social media posts from wildly out-of-touch famous people (from David Geffen to Kendall Jenner, who Matt mistakenly calls ‘Kyle Jackson’), how our desire for control during times of crisis can lead us to do and say very stupid things, the problem with propagating seemingly prescient predictions from the past, America’s particular strain of ‘eat-the-rich’ sentiment— and much more. Later in the episode, Matt answers more Twitter questions! It’s fun even though everything happening in the world is very depressing! Weeeeeeeeee!

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 3) Mar 25, 2020

Most of us are still in self-isolation. Fuck! And it’s not going to end soon. Also fuck! In today’s episode Matt discusses this hard truth and a few others as well, including but not limited to— the darkness on display in Madonna’s tone-deaf COVID-19 bathtub rant, the early signs of our collective lockdown-induced mind-losing, the unbelievably bad advice some politicians and pundits are putting out into the world about how to fend off coronavirus, and why dumb people almost always stay dumb forever. Then Matt goes on to answer questions from Twitter, which are mostly about coronavirus— but there is one question that leads to Matt telling a story that involves his father becoming furious with him and his brother ratting him out.

Quarantine USA! (Pt. 2) Mar 21, 2020

In quarantine just like most of his fellow Americans due to the present pandemic, Matt discusses various important coronavirus-related topics, including but not limited to— the hubristic terribleness on display in the ‘Imagine’ cover that went viral (by Gal Gadot & Famous Friends), Sarah Palin’s appearance on ‘The Masked Singer’ (and how in retrospect it was a clear sign of the coming apocalypse), the hidden insidiousness of thinking that ‘everything happens for a reason’ (even pandemics), the only viable solution to the economic hardship we are all experiencing, why it’s best not to make predictions about what the future holds— and how, for many in this time of strange crisis, working from home is changing the meaning of both ‘work’ and ‘home’.

Quarantine USA! Mar 18, 2020

Matt goes solo this week to discuss the one thing that’s on everyone’s mind at the moment— the goddamn coronavirus pandemic. He covers a lot, including but not limited to: the conflicting updates we’re constantly getting about the virus, the difficulty some of us have with being alone during this stressful time, the dumbshit morons who are still going to the beach despite the present pandemic, the complete assholes who have been hoarding toilet paper and hand sanitizer, and the awful kid who breathed on Matt’s shopping cart at the supermarket. But most importantly, he gives us the simple advice we all need to get through these quarantine days peacefully, in one piece, and without panicking. Listen now. You have nothing else to do anyway.

Bart Ehrman | Heaven & Hell Mar 11, 2020

World-renowned New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman is one of Matt’s actual real-life heroes— and somehow that isn’t even his greatest achievement. Bart has written over 30 books, including 6 New York Times Bestsellers, many of which focus on the origins of Christianity, how and why it spread so far and wide, and what Bart calls ‘the historical Jesus’— as in Jesus Christ the man, not Jesus Christ the messiah. Listen as Matt asks Bart everything he’s ever wanted to ask him — from what Jesus was really like, to why people of the time were so ready to adopt the ideas that early Christians were spreading — and Bart takes Matt on an in-depth tour of his upcoming book, ‘Heaven & Hell: A History Of The Afterlife’, which chronicles our collective ideas of heaven and hell, from their infancy (well before the time of Jesus) all the way up to today. Seriously, go on and hit ‘Play’— this one’s fucking biblical, man.

Keith Cooper | The Stars Are Like A Mirror Mar 04, 2020

Everyone loves to think about aliens, and Matt is no exception. But when it comes to actually KNOWING anything about them— well, no one actually knows shit. So to discuss the possibility of their existence and our search for extraterrestrial life, Matt wanted to talk to an actual expert on the matter— not the guy from ‘Ancient Aliens’ or some other wingnut like him. Enter: science journalist Keith Cooper, editor of ‘Astronomy Now’ and writer of the new book ‘The Contact Paradox: Challenging Our Assumptions In The Search For Extraterrestrial Life’. Listen as Matt and Keith discuss the vastness of space, why it’s so hard to wrap our minds around that vastness, why humans are so fascinated by the cosmos in the first place, the present state of mankind’s search for extraterrestrial life (‘SETI’), what the future of that search might look like, how we should plan on encountering an alien life form if that should ever come to pass, why people insist they’ve encountered aliens when they definitely have not encountered aliens— and ultimately why, when we look at the stars, we are really just looking at ourselves. Also, Matt tells the story of his very first anxiety attack, which was triggered by staring up at the night sky and wondering what the fuck else is out there... if anything.

John Semley | Haterdom Feb 26, 2020

Matt has been called many things. One of the things he is most often called is a ‘hater’— a label he fittingly hates. But is it true? And if it IS true, is that necessarily a bad thing? To figure this out, Matt talks to culture critic John Semley, author of a book Matt loves called “Hater: On The Virtues Of Utter Disagreeability”. Matt and John surprisingly and perhaps disappointingly don’t disagree about much, but that allows them to dig deep into what it means to be a hater, what it means to be CALLED a hater, the difference between hating people versus hating the things they make, why modern movie fans get so mad when you criticize a movie they like, why Rotten Tomatoes is so terrible, why film criticism is so dead, why STARSHIP TROOPERS is so good, why JOJO RABBIT is so bad, how corporations eventually co-opt all cool things— and ultimately why being a ‘hater’ is more important than ever in today’s culture of what John calls ‘calcified consensus’. Also, for the very first time, a guest says “fuck you” to Matt. Matt welcomes this, and can’t wait to have John back on the show so he can say it again.

Dogs & YouTube Feb 19, 2020

Matt’s beloved dog Billie has gone to dog heaven, and Matt is sad about it. So in this episode he goes solo to pay tribute to his favorite dog of all time. Then, after passionately talking some seriously heavy shit about people who don’t like dogs, he touches on a wide range of issues that have been at the front of his mind lately, from why people so drastically and obviously alter their appearances on social media to how deeply confused he is by people who claim to watch the super bowl ‘for the commercials’. On the brighter side, Matt tells us why YouTube is the greatest thing the digital age has given us, and goes on about why he loves Liam Gallagher so much— and why you should too.

Zoltan Istvan | Do You Want To Live Forever? Feb 12, 2020

Zoltan Istvan the face of transhumanism, a fast-growing movement that advocates the use of science and technology to modify and enhance human life and the human experience. Zoltan so believes in this cause that he is running for president to bring his transhumanist platforms to the American masses. And despite the impossible odds, he really does have a ton of interesting and important things to say— things most politicians don’t have the balls to even consider bringing up. Listen as Matt picks Zoltan’s brain about a handful of mind-bending but pressing issues, like how we’ll soon be able to live forever if we so choose, what it will mean when we are able to edit the genetic codes of our own children, what potential blind spots we humans have as we race inevitably toward the singularity— and what the future will look like when most people are at least part machine. Matt‘s mind is fully blown. And in an extended introduction, Matt discusses his fears and trepidations about the possibilities of the science and technology that will soon give us the ability to live forever. He has reservations about it— unless it is used to make his dogs live forever. Then he’s all good with it.

Dan Doty | Men Around Men, Men Around Women Feb 05, 2020

For a while now, Matt has wanted to do an episode on the subject of men and the unique challenges they face in the modern world. Enter: Dan Doty, founder of EVRYMAN, an organization dedicated to helping men connect more deeply to themselves and others. Listen as Matt and Dan get into the weeds about what it means to be a man right now, the loneliness of the modern male, the effects social media can have on the male brain, and the evolutionary reasons behind our legendarily frustrating suppression of emotions. Also, Matt tells a story about when he was 12 and admitted to masturbating and then made his friends do the same. Check it out!

Joe Walsh | Un-American Bullshit Jan 29, 2020

Joe Walsh, Former Tea Party Congressman and current challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, was this podcast’s very first guest. Exactly thirty episodes later, Joe is back for more— and Matt is suuuuper excited about it. Listen to their deep, and deeply honest, conversation about Joe’s longshot candidacy, why he’s running even though he 100% knows he will not win, the upcoming 2020 election, the Democratic nominees and their chances against Trump, how and why there is no viable third party alternative, the rise of the ‘celebrity candidate’, why the dirty word ‘socialism’ has lost so much of its stigma, how history will remember this absurd period in time, and just generally what in the fucking hell is going on in this country they both love. They also discuss Joe’s upcoming book, out on February 18th, called ‘Fuck Silence’— which Matt thinks is a great title. Pre-order it now!

Judi Ketteler | The Dishonest World Jan 22, 2020

Matt has always wanted to do an episode about honesty — and after reading Judi Ketteler’s new book, ‘Would I Lie To You?’, it was clear that she was the person he needed to talk to about the subject. Listen as Judi and Matt dive deep into what it really means to live honestly, the lies we commonly tell and why we tell them (with personal examples from both Matt and Judi), what drives us to be dishonest in the first place, why we insist ‘honesty is the best policy’ even when we’re not honest ourselves (which makes the policy itself a lie!), why we are wired to feel shame when we‘ve been dishonest, how that shame sometimes makes us lie even more— and what the world might look like if we all understood how often we‘re not actually telling the truth. Basically, you (yes, you) are a liar whether you realize it or not, and you should listen to this episode to understand why— and what, if anything, can be done about it.

Molly McKew | Info(rmation)Wars Jan 15, 2020

Matt’s guest this week is information warfare expert & foreign policy consultant Molly McKew. Molly’s understanding of Russia’s disinformation campaign during the 2016 US presidential election is second to none. Which is why Matt wanted to talk to her so badly— he’s a big fan of hers in general, this particular subject has long confused the shit out of him, and it also happens to be Molly’s area of expertise. But their wide-ranging conversation covers much more than just Russia and the 2016 election. Molly breaks down what information warfare really is, defines its many forms, and details its long dark history. From there Molly and Matt go deep about why disinformation campaigns are so effective in our modern digital age, why they’re so hard to do anything about let alone stop, why we’re so damn susceptible to them, and why we tend to believe the first thing we see or read on any given subject— even if what we learn later goes against it or outright debunks it. By the time they’re through, Matt’s mind is blown. Listen now and get yours blown too!

Chloé Valdary | Narrative & Chaos Jan 08, 2020

Just before 2019 ended, Matt connected with someone he’s long been a fan of: writer and cultural critic Chloé Valdary. Their ensuing conversation was filled to the brim with shit Matt has been wanting to talk to Chloé about for some time now, including but not limited to: the root of our culture’s obsession with identity, the various lenses through which we view the past and how this effects the present, the power of grand narratives (both true and untrue), the deeply human drive to derive meaning from chaos— and Chloé’s own philosophy, which is very cool and also has a very cool name: The Theory Of Enchantment.

Brains & Time Jan 01, 2020

Happy New Year! 2020 is here! Everyone seems happy about that, and excited about all the change the new decade will bring. But will things really change? And will anyone really be happier in the new year? Matt wonders about this as he recaps some of the more insane news stories from 2019 and the decade in general. From there he touches on a wide variety of subjects that are near and dear to his heart, including (but not limited to) his feelings about New Years resolutions and our inability to keep them, the faultiness of our memories, how best to think about time and its passing, why going easy on yourself makes the world a better place— and finally, why 2020 will be The Year of Kay.

Kevin Spacey & Christmas Dec 25, 2019

Matt had a whole plan for his third solo episode. It was going to be a top-to-bottom Christmas episode. But then Kevin Spacey posted a brand new and totally demented video on his YouTube page, which means Christmas came early for Matt, so naturally he was forced to shift gears and change his big plans for a fully holiday-themed episode. Listen as Matt obsesses over said dementedness of said video, then runs down the surprising and unbelievable shittiness of Spacey’s career before his fall. After he’s through with Kevin and some other celebrity psychopaths, he shifts gears into a few other equally important topics, from how weird Santa Claus is to the horribleness of this year’s ‘awards season’ films (especially the one made by Clint Eastwood).

Dale Beran | It Came From Something Awful Dec 18, 2019

Until recently, Matt did not understand what 4chan and 8chan were. In an effort to remedy this situation, he picked up Dale Beran’s new book, ‘It Came From Something Awful’— and things finally began to make sense. Listen as Dale un-confuses Matt in real time and they go in-depth about the unlikely origins of these cesspool sites, how they became synonymous with inceldom and the alt-right, the dark subculture of lonely male rage that came to define them, the armies of hateful trolls they have given rise to, and the strange brew of toxic elements that set the stage for all of this to happen in America in the first place.

Mike Rothschild | The Conspiracy Age Dec 11, 2019

Journalist Mike Rothschild joins the show for a discussion about his area of expertise (and one of Matt’s all-time favorite subjects)... conspiracy theories! Listen as Matt picks Mike’s brain about some of his ‘favorite’ conspiracy theories of the decade— from QAnon to Flat Earth to Chemtrails to ‘false flag’ mass shootings. All of which leads to a deeper conversation about the history of conspiracy thinking in general, where these kinds of theories come from in the first place, why they’re so widespread right now, how they eventually seep into mainstream culture— and why adherents to these unproven, unprovable beliefs rarely (if ever) change their minds.

Sarah Landry | Leaving A Cult Dec 04, 2019

Matt finally speaks to a cult survivor! For 9 years, Sarah Landry was a dedicated, trusted member of the secretive ‘Nithyananda’ Hindu sect— as well as its top recruiter. But now Sarah is speaking out about the organization, which she calls a controlling and abusive cult. And it’s hard to argue with that assessment, with the group’s leader currently on the lam, hiding out in Ecuador as he evades charges of sexual abuse. Sarah candidly walks Matt through her personal experience, and then Matt picks her brain about what it’s like to be in a cult, how they start the brainwashing, how they keep you in line, what it takes to eventually realize you’re in a bad situation, the decision to finally get the hell outta there— and ultimately the courage required to speak out about it.

Martin Geddes | Safe & Uncertain Nov 27, 2019

Matt finally fulfills his longtime dream of talking to a believer in the QAnon conspiracy theory. The reason it took so long to find a suitable QAnon-believing guest isn’t because Q-Heads are hard to find. (Believe it or not, they’re actually easy to find.) It’s because most of them are rigid and illogical, which would have resulted in a not-so-great episode. But eventually Matt found his man: Martin Geddes. More than just a Q-Head, Martin actually subscribes to many of what most people call ‘conspiracy theories’ — from the popular (9/11 was an inside job) to the not-so popular (Obama was a ‘Manchurian Candidate’-style foreign agent). Despite their disagreements, Matt and Martin manage to have a civil and surprisingly enlightening conversation about Martin’s ideas, Matt’s concerns with them, the allures and pitfalls of believing in conspiracy theories, and why so many of us desire safety and certainty at seemingly any cost.

Nir Eyal | Big Tech Madness Nov 20, 2019

Bestselling author Nir Eyal joins Matt to discuss his new book, ‘Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life’, which touches on a question that has been on Matt‘s mind a lot lately: why the hell can’t any of us put our phones down? Matt picks Nir’s brain about this and much more, including the difference between addiction and distraction, the psychology behind distraction, how Big Tech actually effects our lives versus how we’ve been told Big Tech effects our lives, the dangers of accepting simple answers to complex problems, and why we all feel so damn attached to our smartphones in the first place. Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

News & Privacy Nov 13, 2019

In his second solo episode, Matt talks about things that have been confusing or upsetting him lately, including the ways people behave towards loved ones on social media, the sudden omnipotence of the term ‘quid pro quo’, the overwhelming shittiness of CNN headlines, and the true value of privacy. Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Troy Duffy + Sam Macaroni | Cult Films Nov 06, 2019

Matt sits down in person with filmmakers Troy Duffy and Sam Macaroni, who have both been making movies or producing content in one way or another since the 1990s— during which a whole lot has changed within their industry. As you may already know, Matt has a few problems with the current state of cinema, so they’ve got a lot to cover. Listen as they discuss the making of Troy’s legendary cult film “The Boondock Saints”, the nearly-as-legendary documentary “Overnight” about Troy’s doomed first attempt to make Boondock, what it’s like to make movies now versus what it was like when Troy and Sam were first breaking into the business, the uncertain future of the cult film, Matt’s confusion about why people watch what they watch, and why there is now simply too much ‘content’ out there for anyone to know what to do with.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

D. Marble | Globe Denial Oct 30, 2019

Matt picks the brain of Darryle Marble, renowned flat earther (or as he prefers, ‘globe denier’), to understand the surprisingly widespread belief that that the earth is... well... flat. Matt wholeheartedly disagrees with Darryle— but he also has no interest in arguing with him. He just wants to understand where Darryle is coming from. Listen as they put aside their disagreements to discuss Darryle’s initial embrace of conspiracy theories in general and then globe denial specifically, his detachment from ‘mainstream’ thought and belief systems, the stigma that goes along with being labeled a ‘flat-earther’, and, of course, his take on the earth’s true shape (hint: it’s not round)— and why we’ve all been lied to about it for our entire lives. Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Dr. Eben Alexander | The Near Death Experience Oct 23, 2019

Neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander was nearly killed by the sudden onset of an extremely rare form of bacterial meningitis. Doctors gave him less than a 2% chance to live. But he somehow survived to tell the tale— and that tale just so happens to involve a near death experience. Since then, Dr. Alexander has written numerous books on the subject, including the bestseller ‘Proof Of Heaven’, which details his experience in full. Matt has always been perplexed by NDEs, and a bit skeptical, but he still wants to know the deal— and Dr. Alexander was the perfect guy to talk to about it. Listen in as they discuss the true definition of consciousness, the limits of science, and the strange phenomenon that is the near death experience.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Toni Natalie | The Demented Mind Oct 16, 2019

Toni Natalie was the longtime girlfriend of infamous cult leader Keith Raniere, head of the so-called ‘self-help’ organization called NXIVM, which recently made national headlines for running a sex slave operation within its ranks— one that held secret orgiastic ceremonies and branded the skin of its members (all female) with Keith’s initials. But this was merely the end of Keith’s story. For years, Toni was at Keith’s side as he rose from smart but shady businessman to the full blown cult leader we know him as today. Toni tells all about Keith, his uber-loyal followers (who especially confuse Matt), how she escaped his clutches, the devilish way Raniere preyed on those who sought his help, how access to vast amounts of money allowed him to evade any potential legal trouble— and why seemingly good and smart people join cults in the first place. Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Caroline Calloway | Collective Bloodletting Oct 09, 2019

Caroline Calloway is a controversial figure— but Matt doesn’t really understand why this is the case. Lucky for him, Caroline was willing to come on the show and explain it. What follows is an honest conversation about why she was accused of being a scammer in the first place, why everyone got so mad at her, why everyone hates influencers, the blurred lines between people and their online personas, and what it’s like to be mobbed by the mainstream media and internet trolls alike.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Ben Howe | The Immoral Majority Oct 02, 2019

Conservative commentator and columnist Ben Howe joins Matt to discuss his recent book, ‘The Immoral Majority’, which details how evangelicals came to not only accept Donald Trump as their candidate— but to embrace him as their leader. This is something that has deeply confused Matt ever since the 2016 election. Thankfully Ben, a lifelong evangelical himself, is here to clear it up for him. Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Freddie deBoer | The Internet Has Erased The Human Sep 25, 2019

Matt and cancelled far-left writer Freddie deBoer discuss the false rape accusation Freddie made that derailed his life (not to mention the life of the man he accused), why he did it, his apology, and his subsequent self-exile from social media. All of which turns into a broader conversation about maintaining mental health in the digital age, how the internet dements our brains, the ultimate weakness of wokeness, and the present state of the American Left.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Rachel Dolezal | A Punching Bag That Was Useful Sep 18, 2019

This week’s guest needs no introduction... unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 5 years. Love her or hate her, everyone’s got an opinion about Rachel Dolezal. But Matt isn’t interested in loving her OR hating her— he just wants to try to understand who she is and where she’s coming from. Their conversation covers a wide range of topics from the micro to the macro: what race means to her personally, the coded but powerful strains of racism still operating in the world today, what it’s like to be railroaded by the American media, and why everyone got so upset with her in the first place.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Juliana McCarthy | Chaotic Waves Sep 11, 2019

Renowned astrologist Juliana McCarthy joins Matt, on her birthday of all days, to help him understand exactly what astrology really is— and why it’s gaining in popularity at this particular moment in time. (According to The Pew Research Center, over 25% of Americans now believe in astrology.) From there they get into a broader conversation about belief, myth, archetype, chaos, and human history. Finally, there is an unexpected but very welcome revelation about alt-right leader Richard Spencer’s sexual orientation. Matt’s world is rocked.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Movies & Dying Sep 04, 2019

Matt recaps the first few episodes, reviews early fan feedback, and teases some exciting future guests. He also goes deep on three very different subjects, each one near and dear to his heart: what’s wrong with movies these days, why dying isn’t so bad, and the proper usage of his favorite word— ‘Kay’.

Michael Foster | The Antidote to Despair Aug 28, 2019

One of a group of five environmental activists known as ‘The Valve Turners’, Michael Foster served time in prison for temporarily shutting off the Keystone XL pipeline. In this episode, Michael opens up to Matt about his activism (which his critics call ‘eco-terrorism’), the pending doom of climate change, our evolutionary blindspot that prevents us from doing anything about it, and what it would take to actually make a difference.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Dr. Lera Boroditsky | Beast Or Virus? Aug 21, 2019

Dr. Lera Boroditsky — ‘Beast Or Virus?’ — Matt talks to renowned cognitive scientist Dr. Lera Boroditsky about one of his favorite topics and the root of all confusion: language. An in depth conversation about miscommunication, misunderstanding, the prevalence of metaphor, the power of persuasion, and the difference a single word can make on our understanding of complex matters.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Arno Michaelis | Forgiveness Is Vengeance Aug 14, 2019

Matt talks to reformed white supremacist leader Arno Michaelis about the roots of hate, the scourge of white nationalism, the slippery slope of online radicalization, and finding ways out of cycles of racism and violence. Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Vanessa Place | The Joke Is Always On You Aug 07, 2019

Matt talks to conceptual artist Vanessa Place about her controversial work, “You Had To Be There: Rape Jokes,” making art that pisses people off, cancel culture, and Vanessa’s own experience being ‘cancelled’.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

John Stoltenberg | Men, MAGA, and Porn Jul 31, 2019

Matt talks to legendary radical feminist John Stoltenberg (‘Refusing To Be A Man’) about what it means to be a white male in the modern era, ‘toxic masculinity’, and the perils of pornography. To quote John’s work: “Pornography tells lies about women. But pornography tells the truth about men.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Sarah Schulman | Conflict Is Not Abuse Jul 25, 2019

Matt and writer / activist Sarah Schulman discuss Sarah’s controversial book ‘Conflict Is Not Abuse’ and its ideas, which turns into a larger talk about why we have an inclination to blame others instead of ourselves, the ways we hide behind modern technology, and ultimate-victim Donald Trump’s constant bitching about how he’s being harassed— even though he’s the most powerful man in the world.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Travis View | QAnon: Matt’s Favorite Thing Of All Time Jul 22, 2019

Expert QAnon Researcher Travis View joins Matt for a detailed discussion about the wild and weirdly popular right wing conspiracy theory that pits a heroic Donald Trump against an evil, satanic ‘deep state’ that includes Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, George Soros, and — somehow — Tom Hanks. Matt gets the full story and loves it all but particularly enjoys the theory that JFK Jr. is still alive— and planning to join President Trump on the 2020 ticket.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Bob Larson | Sexually Transmitted Demons Jul 17, 2019

Matt’s longtime dream comes true as he and famed Exorcist Bob Larson have a serious, in-depth conversation about god, heaven, hell, exorcism and demons.

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #mattdeliaisconfused, and find Matt online here: @mattdelia

Joe Walsh | The Absolute Destruction Of The Truth Jul 15, 2019

Matt and former Tea Party Republican Congressman / popular conservative radio host Joe Walsh (‘The Joe Walsh Show’) disagree about almost everything besides Donald Trump— but they get along anyway. They discuss how our country is totally fucked, how no one listens to anyone besides who they already agree with, the 2020 election, deep fakes, QAnon, guns, and as the title suggests— the end of truth as we know it.

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